The Rugby gazette and east Tennessee news. (Rugby, Morgan Co., Tenn.) 1884-188?, 1887-06-25
DIFFERENTIATED.
The Tolliver Gang Wiped Out by @
Sheriff's Posse.
Tho Notorious Desperado, Two Cousins and
Hiram Cooper Riddled with Bullets
While Resisting officers of the Law.

LEXINGTON, KY, June 22-This morning
determined men to the number of 100, all
armed with Winchester repeating rifles,
came into Morehead under charge OF
oherlH Hogge, to serve warrant on
craig Tolliver, charging him with false
swearing in issuing warrant for the az
rest OF the Logan boys, killed several
weeks ago. AS one of the sheriff's posse
was crossing the railroad near the water
tank, about fifty yards east of tho Raines
cottage Hotel, and before any attempt had
oeen made to serve the warrant, Craig
Iolllver, who was near the hotel,
hred at him. The man lodged behind a
pile OF lumber, and Tolliver and his two
cousins, Bud and Jay Tolliver, and
Hiram Cooper went into the hotel. Then
the posse came up in the brush behind the
hotel, and Immediately opened fire upon
The building. The house was soon sur
rounded, but at something of distance,
as none of the sheriff's men cared to get
within range Of the deadly guns the Tol-
livers knew so well how to use After
firing had been kept up for probably
three-qnarters of an hour the T0lliver
men attempted to leave the hotel and cross
the railroad TO hotel on the opposite side.
While making this foolhardy attempt tho
notorious leader of the gang which has
been such aterror TO Rowan County fell
TO the ground pierced by four balls from
The deadly Winchesters, two going
through his head and two through his
breast. The others got to the opposite
house and fought the. posse for some
time, but finding the place less secure
than they had expected they made an at
tempt to recross the railroad to their old
position. In this they were unsuccessful,
for all three of them fell riddled with rifle
balls. After ascertaining that no more re
sistance would be offered, the posse
picked up the dead men and placed their
on the floor of the porch Of the Cottage
Hotel. Investigation showed that only
one OF the sherifT's posse was wounded,
and that was DR.. Brown, who received an
ugly flesh wound in the thigh. The fighting
was kept up for two hours, and, as some re
marked, sounded like the Fourth of July.
During the firing the utmost consterna-
tion prevailed among the women and chill
dren, who ran from their houses and
rushed to the depot, hoping thereby to
es,ss.s.s,sh bullcts.s The passenger train
Sssniclf ~ due mere at one j clock was az
laycd for two and half hours on account
Of the shooting, as the fight began just as
the engineer whistled for Morehead.
The sheriff sent a detail of men
to stop the train, but the engineer,
hearing the rapid firing, brought
the train to standstill before
reaching the outskirts of the town. After
the fight was over the engineer was per.
mitted to run his train into the depot,
when it was Immediately boarded by a
number Of the posse armed with their
Winchesters. Ladies screamed, and few
tainted, while many of the men had busi-
ness outside. The posse, however, care
fully searched the train for one of the Toll
liver gang they thought had escap-
ed. Catesby Tolliver, boy and
brother to Craig, had hole shot
through the leg of his pants. The posse
was composed of the best men in Rowan
County. They appeared to be hard work.
ing farmers, and were all sober, earnest
looking men. Everybody in Morehead
seems glad the T0llivers are exterminated,
and people will now breathe easier. Prep
arations for the funeral are going on. A
firm of this city received an order tonight
for four coffins and four burial suits.
They were sent up tonight on the II
o'clock express,